Howl with Me
by HideousKitten
Summary: Beacon Hills' newest teacher, Karen Bellamy, was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now she finds herself haunted by red eyes, keeping track of the full moon, and joining a couple of teenagers in the fight for their lives. Starts during Season 1 of Teen Wolf.
1. Chapter 1

_**I see the bad moon arising.**_

_**I see trouble on the way.**_

_**I see earthquakes and lightnin'.**_

_**I see bad times today.**_

_**-**_**Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival**

**Part 1 ~ The Bite.**

The high school's empty halls were dark and silent, the students at home stressing about their various adolescent problems. Karen Bellamy, however, sat at her desk in the music room, sorting through the sheet music. The piles of paper covered the entirety of the desk, and some of the floor as she worked. She let out a soft groan and stretched herself out, then took a sip of coffee. Her pale grey eyes wandered to the clock at the back of the classroom, realizing she had stayed back for hours longer than she had intended.

"Dammit, Bellamy, you are a workaholic." She scolded herself, and started to gather up her things and tidy the papers as much as she could, ready for the next day.

It was as she was sliding her grey suit jacket over her white blouse that an awful mockery of a howl filled the school, and Karen grit her teeth.

"Freaking kids." She muttered, and quickly scooped up her bag and keys.

Her leather boots squeaked lightly on the linoleum as she headed towards the PA system, threats of detention and police intervention on her tongue. As she turned the corner, she saw the shapes of two boys leaving the building, and could faintly hear the sound of their excitement. She frowned and quickly followed them, but didn't make it far out the door. She faltered when she spotted another man waiting in the car park in front of a black Camaro. He was obviously older than the other two, and didn't look happy with the teenagers. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she saw the older man look around suddenly in confusion, looking to the back seat of his car, and then to the empty lot behind them. That's when she saw it, emerging from the edge of the woods. It was large, black, furry and terrifying. A dry squeak emerged from the woman's throat as the monster was suddenly behind the man, with its claws stuck through his gut. Even from her distance, she could see the blood splutter from his mouth, and then he was carelessly tossed aside.

The boys started running back towards her, and she quickly span and ran back into the school. All three of them pulled the doors closed behind them and braced themselves.

"Lock it! Lock it!" One boy said, his shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes.

Now that Karen was so close to them, she vaguely recognized them, but her state of panic and shock prevented her from recalling their names.

"Does it look like I have a key?!" Exclaimed the other boy, eyes wide.

"Grab something!"

"What?"

Karen adjusted the grip on the keys in her fist and rattled them, breaking the boys from their panic. She swiftly flicked one out and locked the doors.

"Now what?" she asked. "Will the doors even hold that thing back?"

"Probably not."

As if on cue a howl filled the air. The three of them ran into a nearby classroom, closing the door. Karen leaned against it, watching as her hands trembled with adrenaline. She vaguely heard the boys talking, something about the local vet, Deaton, and an Alpha, but her mind was stuck on glowing red eyes and fiendish growls.

"Miss Bellamy?" she jumped and her eyes snapped to the boys.

"Boys…I can't… I don't… We need to get out of here."

They nodded, and one came up and put a hand on her shoulder. He was pale and had short, shaved dark hair, a shaky smile on his lips. She vaguely recalled a memory of a funeral, and the sheriff holding the boy to his side.

"Stilinski?" she asked shakily.

"Stiles. That's Scott McCall." He said, gesturing to the darker boy standing on the other side of the desk with the chunky yellow flashlight in his other hand.

Karen took another deep breath before she stood and moved across the room to the large windows, carefully peering out.

"I can't see it." She muttered.

The boys joined her at the window. Scott tried to open the window, but Stiles quickly reminded him that they wouldn't open.

"Then we smash it open, and run to the Jeep." After a quick glance back to the cars and the distance between them and the school, Scott added "really fast."

"Stiles, what's wrong with the hood of your Jeep?"

Stiles frowned and pushed between the two staring out the window, trying to get a better look as he said "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."

"It's bent." Karen stated.

"What, like dented?"

"No, bent." Scott repeated.

Karen let out a shriek and cover her face as something was thrown through the window and skidded across the floor.

"That's my battery!" Stiles said.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a panicked look, and as Stiles went to stand, Scott was quick to stop them.

"Don't"

"We have to move!"

"He could be right outside." Karen reminded, and Stiles looked towards her.

"He is right outside!"

Scott breathed out a quick "Just let me take a look." And peered over the edge of the window, eyes darting.

"Anything?" Karen asked.

Scott shook his head and dropped away from the window.

"Move now?" Stiles asked.

"Move now." Scott confirmed, and the trio left the classroom.

"This way." Scott went to lead them left, but Stiles grasped his forearm before he could take another step. "What?"

"Somewhere without windows."

"Every single room in this building has windows."

"Less windows then. The locker room." Karen stated, already headed in that direction. They didn't take long to follow.

Karen entered to boys locker room and held the door open for the boys as she checked the halls behind them for any sign of danger. As she shut the door, she heard Scott say "Call your Dad."

"And tell him what?" Stiles asked.

As they listed the various pros and cons of calling the Sheriff's department to the school, the older woman scanned the rest of the locker room, biting her lip nervously. Her boots squeaked slightly as she moved further into the room to check out the areas still hidden from her paranoid gaze.

"What about Derek's car?" Scott provided. She could practically hear the light bulb above their heads.

"That could work. We get outside, get the keys off his body," He made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, "and then we take his car."

"And him!" Insisted Scott.

"Fine. Whatever." Stiles rolled his eyes. "Miss Bellamy, come on."

Karen made an affirmative noise and headed back towards the door. As Stiles reached to open it, Scott grabbed his wrist.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"I think I heard something."

Karen stepped back a couple feet, ears straining over Stiles' "Like What?" and let out a harsh 'shh!'. The three of them backed away from the door, quickly turning off the yellow torch in Stiles' hand.

"Hide!" whispered Scott, so softly Karen barely heard it. "No, Stiles, no, no!" he protested weakly as Stiles pushed himself into an adjacent locker.

Scott followed suit, squeezing into a locker of his own, but Karen ran into the coach's office and hid under the desk, the seams in her skirt creaking in protest.

After a few moments of heavy breathing filling the silence, she heard the door open, and then footsteps as they walked through the locker room. She clasped a hand over her mouth to quiet the breathing and trembled. Suddenly, a locker door opened and a man screamed, making Karen jump and hit her head on the top of the desk. There was a bustle of shushing, and she heard a familiar voice.

"Quiet my ass, what the hell are you trying to do? Kill me? Both of you get out!"

"Donny?" Karen muttered to herself, pulling herself out from under the desk as she heard the boys protesting as they were pushed out of the room.

There was a scraping sound behind her, a thud, and then a huff, and Karen froze. She whimpered and slowly turned to see a dark mass rush past her. Then Donny screamed. Karen let out a cry of her own and backed up against a wall as she heard the man's pain. There was a loud bang, and the screams stopped, only to be replaced by the sound of something heavy being dragged towards her. Karen closed her eyes tight.

The sounds stopped.

She didn't open her eyes, until she felt a hand brush hair back from her face. She screamed, opening her eyes.

Before her, crouched a naked half burnt man, his hair dark and messy and blood dripping down his chin from the amused smirk on his lips. Karen whimpered, as she met his eyes and they glowed a hauntingly familiar red. His large sticky red hand cupped her cheek, his expression mocking. She flinched as he leaned in, and she felt his hot breath against her ear and the smooth bumps of his scars against her other cheek as he held her in place with fear.

"I'm not going to kill you." He whispered.

Karen sobbed and squeezed her eyes closed, feeling a tear slide over her cheekbone. He pulled away, and let out a thoughtful hum.

"Well, it might kill you, but I certainly hope not."

She let out a final scream as sharp throbbing pain burst from her neck. As she dropped to the floor, she weakly watched the figure change to the hulking beast, and climb back out the window.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ya hear him howlin' around your kitchen door**_

_**Ya better not let him in**_

_**Little old lady got mutilated late last night**_

_**Werewolves of London again**_

**- Werewolves of London, Warren Zevon**

**Part 2 - Intrusion**

Karen blinked her eyes open as she was jostled, and found herself being pulled onto a stretcher by a couple of paramedics. One noticed her awake and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, hey, you're okay, we're getting you out of here."

"Wha…What happened?" She asked, her voice dry. Pain shot down her left side as she spoke.

"Some psycho attacked the school, a few kids made it out too."

Karen frowned, but closed her eyes as they led her out of the school. When she opened her eyes again, they were walking towards the car park, now busy with the activity of police. The blue jeep still sat there, but the black Camaro was gone. As they approached the waiting ambulance, Karen noticed Alan Deaton, the local veterinarian, being tended to. He gave her a weak smile, and then turned to speak to Scott and Stiles. She felt a wave of relief as she saw the boys safe and sound, and her gaze fell on a couple more teenagers being spoken to by uniformed officers. Before she could push herself up on her elbows, a firm hand pushed her down.

"It's okay, just relax."

"But is everyone okay?" She insisted, her voice sounding panicked.

"Everyone's fine." Came another voice, and Karen turned her head, hissing in pain, to look at the Sheriff. He gave her a warm smile, eyes weary, and grabbed her hand.

He briefly glanced at the paramedics.

"5 minutes." They said, and then they climbed into the ambulance.

"How are you feeling?" Asked the sheriff.

Karen went to shrug, but felt another twinge and instead said "I don't know, shaken up."

The sheriff asked a couple basic questions, why she was at the school so late, what happened. She gave him a hazy account of what she could remember, leaving out the monster that she couldn't quite explain to herself.

The man nodded, and glanced over at somebody. "Did you see who attacked you?"

Her mind flashed to red eyes, and she gulped. "N-no, I didn't see anybody."

"Okay." He flipped his notebook closed. "If you remember anything, anything at all, you let us know. Derek Hale won't be able to run forever."

"Who?"

"Derek Hale, my boy Stiles, and Scott McCall, they've pegged him as the psycho who did this."

Karen hummed in thought. The paramedics came back and pulled her into the ambulance. Karen glanced at the vet sitting beside her as the ambulance left the school.

"Alan, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "Derek kidnapped me. I think he would have killed me, if it hadn't been for Scott. How are you feeling?"

Karen just grimaced, and the man nodded in understanding. She felt his eyes on her neck, and then he quickly bowed his head, silent for the rest of the journey.

Scott and Stiles visited Karen during her first day in hospital. They had both come in with hesitant smiles on their faces, to which Karen gave her own.

"What are you boys doing here?" she asked, propping herself up on her pillows.

They didn't answer at first, and Scott's eyes lingered on the bandage on her neck.

"Well, I'm glad you came. After we…got separated…" Her throat tightened, " I was worried about what happened to you two."

"Aw, about little old us?" Stiles grabbed an apple, sitting on her untouched lunch tray, and threw it up in the air a couple of times.

Scott rolled his eyes at his friend, and stood to the side. "We heard you scream…We weren't sure…"

Karen forced another weak smile. "I guess this Derek guy underestimated me."

The pair exchanged a look, but said nothing.

"What happened to you guys?" she asked.

"Oh, uh…" Scott nervously ran his fingers through his hair, "We holed up in a classroom, and we got to Stiles' dad. Nothing big."

"What about the other kids? Lydia, Allison and Jackson? I saw them in the car park but I wasn't sure why…"

Stiles put the apple down, and jumped up from his position leaning on the bedside table.

"They looking for Scott and I."

Karen pursed her lips. "Right, and what were you two doing there? I heard that nonsense on the PA. Don't think you're out of detention just because some murderer decided to show up."

Stiles looked horrified. "Come on!"

"Don't take that tone with me."

A nurse knocked on the door, peering in. "Sorry to interrupt, but my shift is ending and I need to drive these two home."

Scott nodded. "Alright Mum, we're coming."

Melissa McCall smiled and rummaged through the handbag for her keys as the boys both looked at Karen one last time.

"See you at school, Miss Bellamy?"

The teacher nodded.

"Let us know if you need anything." Scott said, and before she could ask what he meant, her room was empty.

Karen was sent home two days later, more than ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend curled up in front of the TV with her stash of chocolate. Her small childhood home had been left to her by her parents, who had left Beacon Hills years ago to enjoy the beaches of Australia. The walls were covered in family pictures, Karen's favorite was of her graduation. She wasn't looking at the photographer, but she had a wide grin pointed at her mother. They shared the same auburn locks, although her mum's was starting to show silver, but Karen's chocolate brown eyes had come from her father. His arm was around her shoulder on the other side, her proud parents framing her. Karen's fingers traced over the picture frame as she stepped through the door. She dropped her keys in the little tray by the door and made her way to the bedroom, scattering clothes as she went. She quickly pulled on a pair of track pants and a loose tank top, ready for her day of leisure.

Karen awoke with a start, and looked around bleary eyed. She had fallen asleep on the couch, TV still murmuring. She brushed a couple of chocolate wrappers off of her lap, and dragged a hand through her hair in an attempt to tame the tangled auburn locks.

There was a thud, and a creak.

Karen froze and looked around the dark room in alarm, eyes focusing on the light leaking out from the kitchen. She slowly stood and groped blindly for a weapon. Her hand clasped around something hard and plastic. The floorboards creaked slightly as she walked up to the kitchen, spying a dark figure next to the window. She jumped into the room, her weapon raised and ready to strike, with what she hoped was a menacing shout.

The man stood to his full height and turned to face her. She numbly took in the muscled frame beneath the tight navy t-shirt and dark jeans. His jaw was sharp and clenched, covered in stubble, and his lips pulled up into a smirk as his eyes fell just above her head.

To the remote control gripped in her hand.

Karen flinched as he reached out and plucked the object from her hand. He flipped it over in his hands, examining the controller, and then looked back at Karen.

"Really?" he mocked.

Karen stepped to the side, putting her kitchen bench in between them, her hands trembling.

"Wh-who are you?" She whimpered.

The man stepped forward, leaning on the counter, letting the controller slide towards her. His expression was stern as he met her eyes, looking for something.

"What happened to you at the school?" he asked.

Before she realized she was doing it, her hand was at her neck, patting down the taped edges of her bandage. She quickly put her hand down, and replaced her scared and confused expression with a fierce glare.

"I asked who you were. What the fuck are you doing in my kitchen?" her voice sounded slightly hysterical as she stumbled over the curse.

She heard something splinter, and the man glanced down at her hands where they had been gripping the counter. She followed his gaze, finding her nails – claws – were digging into the hard pine.

"Wha…" She backed up, staring at her hands, flipping them over as the claws retracted. Her back hit a wall with a dull thud. The man in her kitchen said nothing, but swiftly crossed the room and pulled the bandage from her neck. Karen didn't have time to process the emotions that flitted across his face, but just as suddenly as he had approached her, he was at the window.

"Don't go anywhere." He said, glancing briefly back at her, and then he was gone, sliding out the window with practiced ease.

Karen put her hand at her neck again, carefully probing for her wound, and finding only her soft, unmarred flesh.


	3. Chapter 3

_**There's a she wolf in your closet**_

_**Open up and set her free**_

_**There's a she wolf in your closet**_

_**Let it out so it can breathe**_

_**- **_**She Wolf, Shakira**

**Part 3 - Revelation**

She wasn't sure how long she stood in her kitchen, eyes wide with shock as her mind tried to explain away what just happened, but she was shaken out of her stupor by a knock at the front door. Karen blinked slowly, straightened out her tank top and track pants and brushed her loose hair behind her ears before she peered through the small window next to the door to see who was knocking. There stood three familiar figures. Stiles was bouncing on his heels, standing next to Scott and the man who had invaded her kitchen. Karen hesitated, but opened the door after Stiles knocked again, more urgently than before. Karen didn't say anything, staring at the trio from behind the door, ready to slam it in their face. The boys seemed to sense her apprehension, and turned a couple of glares to the older man with them.

"What did you do, Derek?" Stiles asked, but any other comments he might have made stuck in his throat at the dark glare Derek fixed on him.

Scott cleared his throat, and turned his brown eyes to the teacher with a small comforting smile.

"Miss Bellamy?" He started, "Can we come in?"

Karen's eyes darted to Derek, narrowing. "Not him."

Stiles scoffed, clapping a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Please, it's important." Scott widened his eyes, hoping that his puppy dog expression would work as well as it usually did on his mother.

Karen took a deep breath and hesitantly stepped to the side with a sweep of her arm. "Come on in, I guess." She muttered, watching closely as the boys entered, and then prodded a finger into Derek's firm chest before he could pass. "You. _Derek_." She spat, "You do one thing I don't like, and you're out."

Derek looked amused, one dark brow lifting and his lips twitching slightly as he muttered "Yes Ma'am."

Karen directed the group into the lounge room, the TV softly breaking the silence with a looped DVD title screen. Karen swept her blanket to one end of the couch, along with a couple of chocolate wrappers, and gestured for the boys to take a seat. Her lips quirked as Stiles and Scott quickly sat down, taking up all the seats on her small couch, and she sat in her armchair, the last seat in the room. Derek let out a low grumble before leaning on the wall next to the TV, across from Scott and Stiles. He clicked the TV off and an awkward silence fell over the room.

"So?" Karen asked, wondering what the hell could possibly be so important.

Scott looked at Stiles, and Stiles shrugged, then the two looked at Derek, and Derek sighed with exasperation.

"I brought you two here so YOU could tell her. You know, seeing as she actually knows you, and might take the news better?" Derek growled, annoyance thick in his voice.

"What do I say to her?" Scott asked.

"Umm, I'm right here!" Karen stated dryly. "What the hell is going on?"

Scott opened his mouth a few times then turned to Stiles with his hands up in a shrug and a dumbfounded expression. Stiles let out a groan and looked Karen in the eye.

"You're a werewolf." He said. "Full moon, howling, growling, awesome werewolf."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Off through the new day's mist I run**_

_**Out from the new day's mist I have come**_

_**I hunt, therefore I am, harvest the land**_

_**Taking of the fallen lamb**_

**-Of Wolf And Man, Metallica**

**Part 4 - Restraint**

Karen sat there silently as the boys went into a long rambling speech about Werewolves, and Hunters. About Alphas, Omegas and Betas. About the full moon, anger management and wolfsbane. It was a chaotic verbal pamphlet on werewolves as they each interrupted each other, laying it all out. When they finally reached the end of their lesson, they each watched Karen with a mix of emotions.

And she laughed.

It wasn't a particularly pretty laugh, and there was a hint of mania to it as she held her stomach and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Werewolves." She muttered, letting out another giggle.

"I don't think she believes us." Stated Stiles, eyes wide.

Derek let out a huff and straightened up. "She'll believe this." He muttered, approaching the still giggling woman. Karen fell quiet as Derek leaned in close, his arms trapping her as they gripped the arms of the chair. His eyes glowed a vibrant blue and he growled, baring his fangs at her. His face morphed into its wolfish form, hair sprouting and surrounding his features.

Karen flashed back to a dark and dingy coach's office and glowing red eyes. There was a soft whimper, barely audible to even Scott and Derek's superior hearing, and Karen turned her face away from the intimidating werewolf.

"Get away from me." She whispered.

Derek shook his head as he went back to his spot against the wall, his human features returning. Karen wiped her eyes with trembling, glancing briefly at the teens on her couch as they shifted uncomfortably in the sudden tension in the room.

"So, what do I do?" Karen asked, her voice soft. "Now that I'm a werewolf, I mean."

Scott shrugged.

"Survive." Derek said.

"And try not to kill anyone. Killing would be bad." Stiles added, making a clawing motion with his hands.

"The full moon is on Monday. You need to lock yourself away for that, you won't be able to control yourself."

"Stiles and I can help with that if you want." Scott added. Stiles nodded in agreement.

"I can help you learn to fight, and use your senses. But you'll have to sort out your life. You should probably quit your job before you rip a student to pieces." Derek mused, brow furrowed in thought.

Karen frowned. "Quit my job?" She murmured, thinking of all the time and effort she put into becoming a teacher. She wasn't sure what she was outside of being a teacher. She had lived and breathed it since she left high school, leaving the partying and the boyfriends behind to focus on the job of her dreams. Heck, she'd only just got there too, having been at Beacon Hills High since only the start of the school year. Her throat tightened at the thought of having to give it up.

The boys left her in peace after a little while, discussing plans for the full moon around her while she wallowed in numbness. She barely recognized their departure and nodded at their promises to be back on Monday. Derek gave her a warning to stay at home until she could better control herself, but even in her shocked state, she knew she wasn't going to listen. So, when she awoke early Monday morning, she followed her normal work routine. She showered, although in her sleepy haze she accidentally pulled the knob off of the hot water. She ate breakfast, and much more than she usually would, going through half of her eggs and all of her bacon, as well as a large chunk of the loaf of bread. She dressed in her usual work attire, a light colored blouse with a dark skirt and matching jacket, and was in her car and on her way to the high school in record time.

Students were already piling into the school, and Karen's ears twitched at the sensory overload. While at home, she hadn't really had much of a problem with her apparent hearing improvement. Karen paused at the steps in front of the school, taking a moment to focus on her breathing and ground herself.

"Dad, if you're going to insist on driving me to school, you at least have to let me out of the car?" She heard, and she found herself watching Allison Argent arguing with her father and an unfamiliar woman in their SUV, blocking traffic in front of the school. Allison was eventually let into the school, but the car didn't leave right away.

"Don't. Just- Your look communicates it perfectly. Yes, I underestimated the danger. Yes, we should've acted sooner. Yes, I should have listened to you. Anything else? Or does that cover it?" rambled Chris Argent.

Karen frowned, turning her head so that while she wasn't looking at the car, she had her ear pointed towards them. Scott and Stiles had filled her in on the Argent's extracurricular werewolf hunting hobby, but none of them knew if they were aware of Karen's new abilities.

"All I was going to say is you need to stop and get some gas." Said the woman, her voice light and mocking. "Also," she continued, "Is that the teacher over there? The one that got attacked?"

Karen tensed, and then attempting to look casual, started to go through her bag as though she had lost something.

"Yeah, Karen Bellamy, I met her during the parent/ teacher conferences."

"She's young." Commented the woman. "I thought they –"

"Karen!" shouted a voice.

Karen started, and looked up in time to see the chemistry teacher, Adrian Harris, put a hand on her shoulder with a slight smile.

"Ready for another day in hell?" he asked.

Karen offered a smile of her own, closing up her bag. "Never." She laughed, matching pace with him as they walked into the school. When she glanced back, the SUV was gone.

"How are you going?" Adrian murmured, glancing to the strategically placed bandage on her neck as they pushed through the halls. Although unnecessary now that it had completely healed, Karen had wanted to keep up appearances. She fingered it self-consciously.

"Oh, you know. I'm okay." She said, "Bad dreams seems to be the worst of it. How was your weekend?"

Adrian regaled her with tales of chemistry homework, and the dismal performance of the school's students. She laughed at his cynicism.

"Oh, you laugh now. One day you'll be just like me, despising each and every one of these hormonal idiots." He muttered, glaring at a student as they quickly ran down the hall.

"You know, we used to be hormonal idiots too." Karen pointed out. "Not that long ago actually."

Adrian scoffed and the pair stopped outside the music room, glancing around at the teens. Adrian eyed them through his thick framed glasses with a touch of disgust before looking back at her.

"You know you could always take more leave. Hell, I would, even if I didn't need it."

"I want to stay busy." Karen insisted, opening the door. "Now go be a total jerk to some innocent kids before they start rumors."

"Alright, Alright, but don't forget dinner tomorrow night!"

"Go!" Karen insisted with a smile.

She dropped her bag on her desk and ran her fingers over a small gift basket sitting there. She picked up the card sitting on top, and smiled at the handful of 'Get well' messages written inside from some of her favorite students.

The first part of the day passed by, much better than Karen had been expecting. She was a little shorter with students than usual, her temper bubbling under the surface. The closest she had gotten to really losing her temper was when Greenburg had somehow managed to swing his trumpet around so enthusiastically that he knocked down all of the music stands in the room. She could feel the anger in her throat, but turned away from the class and leaned on the table while she took several calming breathes. The students behind her were frozen in fear over what she would do, Greenburg pale with dread.

"Get. Out." She had growled, the wolf in her voice.

She heard him flee from the room, almost tripping over his own feet. She didn't move for several moments, her eyes closed.

"Miss Bellamy?" Danny asked.

Karen turned around, forcing a tight lipped smile, and gestured for the class to pick up their stands.

"Let's keep going shall we."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Under blue moon I saw you**_

_**So soon you'll take me up in your arms**_

_**Too late to beg you or cancel it**_

_**Though I know it must be the killing time**_

_**Unwillingly mine**_

**-The Killing Moon, Echo & The Bunnymen**

**Part 5 - Crescendo**

Karen played a soft tune on the piano, her eyes closed, looking perfectly relaxed. Her last class for the day had finished not too long ago, and she was going to meet up with Scott and Stiles after their lacrosse practice, which meant she had a good half hour to herself. She sighed, playing the last notes of the composition and flicked through the music pages in front of her for something new to play.

"Derek, you know, I might be new to this werewolf thing, but I can still smell you there." She murmured.

The man's scent had floated through the room half way through her rendition, and he still hadn't moved from his place outside the doorway. She glanced back at him, noting the tension in his shoulders and the hesitant expression on his face as he glanced around the room.

"You survived the day." He said, when he eventually entered the room and approached her desk. He ran his fingers over some scratch marks that had been left by the 'Greenburg incident'. "Mostly."

Karen felt the tension returning to her muscles, and started to play again, channeling her agitation into the composition.

"You were watching me."

"Yup."

Karen's fingers danced over the piano keys. She glanced briefly up at Derek as he approached a cello sitting against the wall. He looked almost mournful as he reached out to brush the strings.

"Do you play?" She asked.

He shook his head and turned swiftly away from the instrument. "I knew someone who did."

She didn't respond, sensing his discomfort on the topic. As her song came to an end, she smiled softly, treasuring the sound of the fading notes, and then gently closed the lid of the piano. She swiveled in her seat to look at the clock. She jumped when she saw Derek only a little ways behind her, watching her with a furrowed brow and crossed arms.

"Don't do that!" she exclaimed.

He rolled his eyes.

"You play well." He commented.

Karen let out a sharp laugh. "Well, I'd hope so. Being the music teacher and all." She smirked as his frown deepened. "My parents had me going to music lessons for as long as I can remember." She explained.

She watched him for a moment, and he looked back at her apprehensively as she examined him, lips pursed in thought.

"You aren't particularly chatty, are you?"

"I don't know you." He replied.

"And at this rate, you never will." The young teacher stood and began to pack up her bag. "You should smile more, Derek. You know what they say right? 'Someone could be falling in love with your smile'?"

Derek scoffed. "Maybe when I have something to smile about."

Karen paused, the smile falling from her lips as she looked up at his serious expression. Any other comments she had, she kept to herself as she pressed her lips together and zipped up her bag. She slid the black leather satchel over her shoulder, lightly brushing creases out of her skirt and jacket.

"I've gotta go meet Scott and Stiles…" she said, gesturing to the door.

She paused a moment, waiting to see if he was following, but continued on when he just quirked an eyebrow. He looked over the room once more, eyes landing on the cello, lips turning downward as he remembered a snarky young girl giving him a bashful smile.

Karen stood patiently outside the boys locker room, door now back on its hinges and no sign that one of the janitors had ever been slaughtered there. She smiled hesitantly at some of the boys as they left the room, chattering between themselves. Danny smiled back at her, his nose bloody, and his friend Jackson gave her a cocky smirk as they passed. When no one else emerged from the room, Karen frowned. She stepped forward, knocking on the half open door.

"Scott? Stiles?" She called.

As she took a step into the room, another figure collided with her, dropping a heavy bag with a rattle. She looked down at the bag, then to Stiles with a quirk of her eyebrow. He rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

"Hey…Miss Bellamy…"

"Hi Stiles. What's going on? Where's Scott?"

Stiles grimaced at the mention of his friend. "Probably making out with my crush again." He grumbled.

Karen looked confused. "What?"

"Nevermind, look, the full moon is making Scott act like a total douche-bag and now he's run off and I've gotta get to his house and lock him up." Stiles rambled, picking up the black duffle bag and squeezing past Karen. "I'll see you later, Miss Bellamy."

Karen watched, crestfallen, as the teen jogged down the hall.

"But, what am I supposed to do?" she mumbled.

"Karen, what are you doing in the boy's locker room?" A loud voice asked.

Karen turned and looked at Coach Finstock, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Oh, uh… I thought I saw Scott McCall." She lied. "I'm trying to get him to join…choir…"

Finstock looked curious. "Choir? I didn't know he could even sing."

Karen nodded her head. "Oh yeah, like an angel."

"Huh." The coach crossed his arms. "Well, you can't have him. He's my star player! You should have seen him take down Danny today. What a monster!" The man laughed.

Karen smiled awkwardly. "Okay, well, see you tomorrow then, Coach."

Karen walked out the front doors of the school, trying to figure out what she was going to do for the evening. She could already feel her skin buzzing, as the sun got closer and closer to setting. As she opened the door to her beat up old Toyota, she noticed a figure at the edge of the woods.

"Derek?" she called.

She threw her bag into the car and closed it. Karen looked back over to the forest, noticing the masculine form moving back into the forest. She trotted over to follow.

"Hey, wait!"

As she got a little ways into the wooded area, she tried to find the man.

"Derek, come on. I need your help with the whole moon thing?"

When there was no response, she huffed.

"What an asshole." She muttered.

She turned to go back to her car, and bumped into a broad, black leather clad chest.

"There you are! I really nee-…"

Karen stumbled back as she gazed into the half burnt face of the man that bit her, fear coursing through her veins. The man smiled, the scarred side of his face pulling taut at the action.

"Hello Karen."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hi folks, just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has followed and favourited this story. I honestly wasn't expecting this much attention. Please, leave a review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks again!


	6. Chapter 6

_**And when I get this blood I rip your throat**_

_**Your blood I rip your throat**_

_**I want your blood, I rip your throat**_

_**To drink some blood**_

**-We Bite, Misfits**

**Part 6 - Haze**

Karen woke to the sound of birds chirping and insects crawling. She blinked her eyes open, her lids feeling heavy, and squinted as the bright sun hit her eyes. She slowly stood up, eyeing the forest clearing warily, turning to find a derelict burnt out house. She slowly looked down at herself as she wiped the dirt from her face, and let out a whimper at the sight of herself. Her jacket was gone, but her pale blue shirt was in tatters. Her skirt, while still on, had rips up the seams. Her shoes were gone and her bare feet were covered in mud, and blood. She looked at her shaking, bloody hands. All she could smell was the salty, metallic substance. She pulled at her hair, already a knotted mockery of the bun she had had it in, and let out a panicked cry.

"No, no, no, no…" she muttered.

She felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder, and she jumped back with a growl, her eyes glowing yellow and claws ready to strike. Derek quickly took a step back, hands raised in a peaceful gesture.

"Karen?" He asked, eyeing her cautiously. "What happened to you?"

"What do you think?" She spat. "I'm a fucking werewolf, and there was a fucking full moon!"

She wiped her hands roughly on the remains of her skirt, trying to remove the dried blood. She growled when the fabric, already stiff from dried blood, did nothing. Derek grabbed her wrists, halting her movements and forcing her to look in his eyes.

"Hey. Hey!" He shouted, eyes flashing blue. Karen froze, her breathing fast and shallow. "Hunters have already been here, it isn't really safe." He guided her around the house to where his Camaro was waiting. "Get in."

He went to the trunk of the car and pulled out a bottle of water and a rag. Karen slid into the passenger seat, leaving the door open as she tried to calm herself. Derek soaked the rag and offered it to her, pushing it into her hands when she hesitated. She quickly wiped herself over, and while she was still a mess, the cool water on her skin helped calm her.

"Thank you." She murmured.

Derek nodded, and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Let's get you home." He said, and Karen pulled her door closed.

She rested her forehead against the cool glass, and watched as the scenery rolled past, not really taking any of it in.

_"Who are you?" She stammered._

_"I'm your Alpha." Replied the man, spreading his arms open. "But you can call me Peter."_

_He stepped forward and clapped his hands together, looking her over. "Yes, I think I did quite well with you."_

_"I'm not a piece of meat!" She snarled._

_Peter flashed red eyes at her. "Careful now. We wouldn't want you to do something that would get someone hurt." His arm flashed forward, gripping her wrist tightly. "Now come along, we don't have all night."_

"Karen?"

Karen lifted her head and blinked at Derek. "Huh?"

"We're here."

"Oh." Karen slowly climbed out of the car, and made her way up the driveway. She paused briefly at the sight of her car, trying to remember how it had gotten there. She patted down her pockets for her keys, and groaned when she didn't find them. She turned to tell Derek she couldn't get in, but he was gone.

"Of course." She scoffed.

The door opened behind her, Derek giving her a smirk.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She grumbled, pushing past him and heading straight for the bathroom.

As she passed, Derek grabbed her upper arm, staring at the back of her neck.

"What?"

Derek met her eyes. "Nothing, sorry." He quickly let her go.

Karen closed and locked the bathroom door, and quickly stripped of her ruined clothing. She turned to the mirror hanging over the sink. She stretched around, trying to find whatever had peaked Derek's interest, her fingers probing the skin while she twisted around. She couldn't find any injuries, but noticed some blood dried on the surface, like someone had stuck their fingers in the back of her neck. She frowned, stepping into the shower.

_"What are you doing? Where are we going?" she growled, trying to pry free of the strong man's grip._

_Peter glanced back at her in annoyance, but kept a steady pace as he walked confidently deeper into the woods._

_"Back to where it started. I'm going to show you what this is all about. Then, you're going to help me."_

_He pushed her into a half burnt down building and guided her to a large room off to the right off the main staircase with a hand on her shoulder. Although everything was dusty, neglected and charred, Karen had no doubt that this had once been a beautiful home._

_"Welcome home!" Peter said, running a finger over an old wardrobe. "Well, it's not much anymore…maybe I should find somewhere new." He hummed._

_Karen stood in the middle of the room, not quite sure what to do, rubbing her arms uncomfortably. The sky had grown dark now, the moon low in the night sky. She could feel the wild, wolf part of herself scratching at her mind's door. Strangely though, in Peter's presence, it was willing to wait._

_Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain and collapsed to the floor, screaming. She saw flashes of a fire, people screaming for help and reaching out to her – no, it wasn't her. Peter. She felt fire burning up her side, so intensely that when the moment passed, she was surprised she didn't look like the half burned man in front of her. He gave her a sympathetic smile that didn't reach his eyes and helped her up._

_"Do you understand?" He asked._

_Karen nodded slowly, tears prickling her eyes as the full meaning of this burnt home hit her._

There was a sharp knock on the door.

"Are you alright?" Derek called.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" Karen stammered.

She scrubbed herself clean and washed her hair, relishing the almost burning temperature of the water and the feeling of clean skin again. When she was done, she patted herself dry and wrapped the towel around her.

She wandered back down the hall into her bedroom to get dressed, brushing past Derek as he waited in the hall.

Once she was dressed in her comfiest sweat pants and a loose t shirt with some cute logo on the front, she made a quick call into the school. It was already the middle of the afternoon, and while she hadn't checked her mobile yet, she was sure there were a billion voice mails and missed calls waiting for her.

She explained to the receptionist, with several apologies sprinkled through, that she wasn't coping as well as she had thought she was after the attack, and needed extra time off. While they weren't happy with the short notice, they were insistent that she take the rest of the week off to help her recovery.

While Karen paced throughout the house, phone to one ear, Derek had made himself at home in her kitchen, throwing together a quick breakfast. When Karen entered the room, hanging up the phone, and looked up at him, her mouth hung open for a moment in surprise at the hot coffee and toast sitting on the bench.

"You…made me toast?"

"You were out of eggs." He shrugged, taking a large bite of his own buttered slice.

"Thank you." She said, in between chews, her mouth stuffed.

He shrugged again, and then checked the time.

"I've got to meet up with Scott and Stiles."

Karen just nodded, finishing off the last of her toast and swallowing half of the coffee in one go.

"You'll be okay by yourself?" Derek asked, sounding hesitant.

Karen quirked an eyebrow in response.

"Right. I'll be back later tonight and we can start training you how to fight."

"Tonight?" Karen asked, surprised.

Derek was already out the door. As she heard the Camaro start up and drive away, Karen put her dishes away, and then went to check out her car.

Everything looked fine, there was barely a scratch on it. When she opened the door, she found the keys in the ignition. She pulled them out and eyed the interior of the car suspiciously, her nose twitching as she breathed in the mix of scents. Ash, disinfectant and the slight smell of copper hit her as she leaned further into the vehicle, reaching over to the glove box. Inside, sitting on top of her things, was a small note folded in half and marked with a bloody fingerprint.

'Come find me at the hospital'

Karen pursed her lips, crushing the paper in her hand, and headed back inside.

_Peter Hale smirked as they walked down the steps of his family home, gazing up at the full moon hanging low in the sky. He turned, grabbing Karen's hand in his own and pulling her further towards the trees._

_"I'm going to show you what a real wolf looks like." He grinned, the burns tugging at the corner of his smile. His eyes glinted with a dark joy, glowing their vibrant red._

_He released her hand and shifted into a large wolf man, more wolf than Karen had seen from Derek. He relaxed down onto all fours, and howled. Karen let out a shriek of pain and fell to earth, gripping her fingers into the dirt as her claws emerged. As her transformation finished, she arched up to the moon letting out a howl of her own, all human thoughts gone._

_Karen had vague memories of following her Alpha through the forest, chasing down a deer and feasting happily together. She remembers the moon fading as the sun rose, and a pair of lips pressing against her temple as a cocky tone murmured something into her ear._

Karen debated with herself briefly. While the Alpha was surely not all that balanced mentally, he deserved revenge for what had happened to his family, she decided. She was sure she would do the same if it was her family. He was also willing to teach her, with more enthusiasm than Derek had shown her. If not, then learning more about him could help Derek and Scott get rid of him before he started hurting innocent people.

Mind made up, Karen swapped her track pants for jeans and headed in to the hospital. She smiled at the red headed nurse sitting behind the counter, eyeing the badge identifying her as Jennifer briefly.

"Hi. I'm looking for Peter Hale."


	7. Chapter 7

_**The danger is, I'm dangerous**_

_**And I might just tear you apart**_

_**I'm gonna catch ya**_

_**I'm gonna getcha, getcha**_

_**-**_**Kill Of The Night, Giga Wigmore**

**Part 7 - Exertion**

Peter's hospital room was dreary at best. The blinds on the window were half closed, and the dim light only made the pale walls and hospital sheets look worse than they already were. Karen stared at the back of the man in wheelchair for a moment, surprised by his apparently catatonic state. His regular nurse, the beautiful red headed Jennifer, stood beside her with a sad, sympathetic smile.

"He's been like this for 6 years, so don't go expecting a miracle. Just be patient with him." She said, "Let me know if you need anything. I'll be back to check on him later."

Karen thanked the woman as she walked away, but didn't make any move to approach the man. From where she stood, she could see the unmarred side of his face as he blankly stared at the half closed window he was facing. After a minute of staring at him, waiting for him to show some sign that he wasn't actually catatonic, she moved silently and sat in the chair placed across from him, next to his bedside table. She bit her lip uncomfortably, rubbing her hands on her legs as she looked at the half burnt patient.

"So…uh…" She looked into his eyes, trying to find some recognition, movement, anything. For a moment, she doubted that any of what happened the night before had actually happened. She pulled his crumpled note out of her pocket and flipped it over in her hands a couple times, trying to figure out what she was meant to be doing. "This is ridiculous." She murmured, slumping in her seat.

Peter watched the woman as she fidgeted through minutes of silence. Although his condition had been improving greatly, he kept it secret, not wanting to rouse the suspicion of hunters or of his nephew who was so keen on hunting him down and killing him. The death of his niece had been unfortunate but necessary, he thought, and he was sure that he could bring Derek around to his way of thinking sooner or later. It would certainly help if he could bring this new young wolf into his pack as well. It was turning out easier than he had expected. He watched the woman slump in her seat and let her head fall back to look out the window behind her. He wondered if he should let her in on his secret, but after spending so much time perfecting his act, he was loathe to break it when just anyone could walk in. While she wasn't watching him, he took in her attire with a mental sneer. He'd have to get her to show some more thought about her appearance, after all, if she was going to be a part of his pack, he wanted her to give a good impression. The t-shirt she wore was too large, hiding the delicate curves he had seen the night before. Her jeans hugged her figure much better, but were ragged with wear and stained in places. She hadn't bothered to put on makeup before she left, he could see light bags under her brown eyes, and her hair, although it had been thoroughly brushed and pulled into a ponytail, was still slightly damp.

"I don't know why the hell I even came here." Karen muttered, leaning forward to look the Alpha in the eyes. "How are you the same man from last night?"

She tugged lightly on his pale blue dressing gown, pulling it closed properly and gently smoothed out some wrinkles with a small frown.

"You know, I remember when the fire happened." She murmured. "We could see the smoke from our house. When we found out what happened my dad went nuts and checked all the fire alarms so the same thing wouldn't happen to us." Karen giggled a little at the memory. "Mum just sat in front of the TV with a box of tissues, watching all the news coverage. I think she knew some of your family, but she didn't really talk about it."

Karen sighed and stood to leave, placing a gentle hand on Peter's shoulder.

"I'm really sorry for what happened to your family, Peter."

Peter listened to her light steps as she left the hospital, letting a frown fall across his lips. Jennifer entered the room shortly after, gently pressing the door closed behind her.

"I didn't realize she was going to come so soon." She said.

Peter glanced at his red headed nurse with a smirk. She had proved very useful, and eager to please.

"I didn't either. It was a pleasant surprise." He stood up from his chair, stretching his stiff muscles. "I'll be going out again tonight." He informed. "Make sure everything else is in order. I have a feeling we'll have more visitors soon."

Karen arrived back home, feeling more than a little disheartened by the uneventful visit. It was still early in the day however, and Karen was feeling full of energy. She slipped on a loose outfit and cleared some space in her living room, sliding the couch and armchair to the walls. She then pulled her full length mirror in front of the TV, and limbered herself up.

"Okay Karen, let's get wolf-y." She muttered to herself.

She mustered her fiercest snarl and scrunched her face up in concentration, trying to force herself to change into her she-wolf.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, and again, but found herself only staring at a not so menacing teacher. Her shoulders slumped, disheartened.

She spent some time doing a normal workout – push-ups, lunges, squats, she did every exercise she could possibly think of. She even managed to lift her armchair a couple of times, something she never would have been able to do before. It also took her a lot longer to feel the burn in her muscles, and a couple hours later as the sky darkened, she collapsed onto her couch, a sweating mess.

She awoke to a knock at the door. Dragging herself over, she opened it up, finding Derek. He let out a laugh at her appearance. Karen glared at him, patting down her wild locks, as he entered her home and eyed the lounge room curiously.

"What have you been up to?" he asked.

"Working out." She bit.

He hummed in reply.

"Where were you? I heard sirens."

Derek shrugged. "Alpha stuff."

Karen spread her arms, gesturing for him to say more. "And? You know, I kinda need to know about 'Alpha Stuff' now!" She mocked.

He frowned. "I don't sound like that."

Karen lifted an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Derek pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I almost had him. He went and visited a teacher-"

"Which one!?" she interrupted with a gasp.

"Adrian Harris. Anyway, he's looking for someone with this amulet." Derek unfolded the paper and showed her the crude drawing of a circular pendant with a wolf and stars on it. "Scott says that Alison has this on a necklace. He's going to work on stealing it so we can figure out what it means."

"Is Adrian okay?"

Derek shrugged. "He's not dead."

"We were meant to have drinks tonight. Ugh, He's gonna freak out!"

Derek stared at her incredulously. "We find a lead on tracking down the Alpha – who wants to pull you into his pack by making you kill someone, by the way – and you're worried about a date?"

Karen pursed her lips. "I'm not worried about a date. I'm worried about my friend and co-worker who almost died!"

Derek didn't look like he understood the difference, so Karen just threw her hands in the air with a groaned "Whatever" and went over to sit on the couch again. Derek followed behind her, looking at the mirror, and then back at her.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"I was trying to go all," She made a growling face and claw hands, putting a smirk on Derek's face, "but nothing happened."

"What were you feeling?"

Karen shrugged. "Disappointed, I guess."

Derek shook his head. "No, what were you feeling to try and make it happen?" She stared at him blankly, so he explained. "The change is based on your heart rate, but more specifically emotions like anger. You have to get angry to make it happen."

"Like the Hulk?"

Derek exhaled slowly, crossing his arms. "Yes." He bit. "Like the Hulk."

Karen nodded thoughtfully. "So that's why you're angry all the time?" She asked.

"I'm not angry all the time!" He growled.

Karen smirked back at him.

"Look, do you want to learn, or what?" He asked. Karen nodded quickly. "Then quit with the smart comments and get up."

Derek found Karen to be a lot more flexible than he had expected. She said it was because of the yoga classes she had taken with her mother, before her parents had left the country. She still wasn't able to match his strength or stamina, but he was sure in time he would be able to train her to use her smaller size to her advantage. He started off showing her how to punch properly, although explained that when she wolfed out she wouldn't need to punch very often, then how to balance herself and how to control her breathing and preserve her energy. He then told her to come at him with everything she had. She was hesitant at first, worried about hurting him, but soon grew frustrated with her inability to hit him at all. As he knocked her back again, grabbing her arm as she ran at him and flipping her around, she let out a frustrated growl. She turned back, eyes glowing amber, and swiped at him with sharp claws. She struck him square in the chest, cutting deep and tearing his sweaty shirt.

"Oh my god!" She shrieked at his hiss of pain. "I'm so sorry!" She rushed forward to check on the wound.

He shrugged away from her touch and pulled off the tattered shirt. Karen flushed as he turned and tossed the shirt onto the nearby armchair, eyes tracing his muscled back and the triskele tattooed between his shoulder blades. He turned back and glanced down at the wounds as they closed over. Karen looked away.

"Right. Super healing." She said sheepishly.

"Ready to go again?" He asked, twitching his fingers for her to come at him again.

She wiped her forehead, setting her jaw, and determinedly swung at him again. He grabbed her fist in mid-air and twisted. Karen yelped at the sudden pain in her wrist and fell to the side. She glared up at his slightly amused expression, cradling her healing sprained muscles.

"I hate you so much." She muttered.


	8. Chapter 8

_**You'd look nice in a grave.**_

_**I smile at the moon; death is on my face**_

_**And if you wait too long**_

_**Then you'll never see the dawn again**_

**-Werewolf Heart, Dead Man's Bones**

**Part 8 - Deception**

Karen woke late the next day, curled up on the couch. She and Derek had sparred until the early morning, when Karen had collapsed under her aching muscles. She glanced around blearily, numbly noting the claw marks in the carpet and across the walls, when her eyes fell on a familiar half burnt man lounging in her armchair.

"Ah good, I thought you were going to sleep the whole day away." Peter smirked at her, flashing red eyes at her momentarily as he examined his claws.

Karen jumped up from the couch and fell into a defensive stance with a growl.

"How did you get in here?" She asked. "What do you want?"

Karen barely saw Peter as he rose from his seat and was suddenly at her back, hand gripping the back of her neck tightly, nails biting.

"I'm here to remind you that you're in My Pack." He said snarled, hot breath in her ear. "Now be a good Beta and go get dressed."

As he let go with a slight push, Karen stumbled and glared up at him, golden eyes flaring as she clenched her fists and retracted her claws. She slowly stood up, took a few deep breaths, let her anger dissipate, and brushed past him to her bed room. Peter was kind of surprised by the way she easily fell into obedience. When he heard the shuffling of clothes, he wandered around the room, observing the many family pictures on the walls. He ran his fingers across the spines of her books as he studied the bookcase - mostly untouched biographies of musicians, some well loved fantasy novels, and photo albums - taking in all the information he could get on her. She emerged from her room a short while later, hair neatly braided and wearing a modest dress with a jacket and boots. As they left the house, Peter took Karen's keys and slid into the drivers seat of her car, watching her for some kind of resistance, testing her limits. He watched as her jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists, but slid into the passenger seat beside him with only a slight huff.

The car ride was mostly silent. Peter would ask occassional probing questions, why she became a teacher, how she felt about killing the people that killed his family, how she liked being a werewolf, but she gave only short answers. She briefly considered using the opportunity to learn more about her new state of being, and the rest of the supernatural world, but as she opened her mouth to begin her flood of questions, they had arrived at the hospital. Karen wasn't sure how he had done it, but the hospital ward which housed his room was eerily empty. As they came up to his room, she noticed a single red headed nurse pop out from behind the nurse's station.

"What's she doing here?" she sneered, radiating jealousy.

Peter put a hand on her cheek, and gently cooed "It's fine, Jennifer. She's trustworthy."

Karen raised an eyebrow at the scene, wondering how deep his manipulation of the woman went. Peter turned into his room, calling for them to wait. Karen offered the nurse a peaceful smile, receiving only a blank stare in return.

"He's been hurt, you know, betrayed." Jennifer said, voice harsh and eyes glaring.

Karen nodded slowly, meeting the other woman's eyes easily. She was a little taller, and straightened herself up to emphasize the fact, but Jennifer didn't seem intimidated.

"So what I'm saying is, don't hurt him, or I'll hurt you."

Karen crossed her arms, glancing at Peter's room briefly and then pursing her lips at Jennifer.

"Who's going to protect us from him?" She asked softly.

Jennifer glared. "He would never-!"

"Wait." Karen held a finger up, shushing the nurse as she tilted her head towards the end of the hall, picking up the sounds of sneakers on the tiles and a low voice. "Someone's coming."

Karen stepped towards the hospital room as Peter appeared in the doorway and pulled her down the hall and around the corner a little ways.

"Yeah, I said I can't find her." Came a voice.

"Stiles?" Karen murmured, and Peter pressed a finger to his lips, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah, well, he's not here either." Came Stiles again, much closer now, standing just inside the door way of Peter's hospital room.

Karen's eyes widened as Peter stepped out, waiting next to the doorway.

"Wait, don't-!" She hissed quietly.

"He's not here. He's gone, Derek." Stiles said as he turned out of the room, and came face to face with Peter. The mobile phone in his hand slowly fell from his ear.

"You must be Stiles." Peter said, almost pleasantly.

Stiles stumbled away from the werewolf, turning to run, but stopping when Jennifer stepped in front of him.

"Visiting hours are over." She quipped.

"You – and him. You're – you're the one who – Oh, my – and he's- Oh. My god, I'm gonna die." Stiles spluttered.

Karen slowly stepped out from her hiding spot, standing beside Peter as she heard the sound of a body hitting the floor and saw Derek standing over Jennifer's unconscious body.

"That's not nice. She's my nurse." Said the half burnt man.

Derek glared, eyes flickering to Karen briefly. "She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way." He said to Stiles.

"Oh, Damn." Stiles groaned, dropping to the floor as the two men eyed each other.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose?" Peter asked, stalking towards his nephew. "One of my own family?"

Derek roared in response, jumping off the wall and towards Peter. Peter easily deflected him, slamming him into the wall above a cowering Stiles. Karen eyed the boy, and the two fighting men with caution, before sliding behind Peter as he threw Derek to the opposite side of the hall. Stiles, seeing her coming, scrambled away and into Jennifer. As he slipped on his hands, Karen gripped him by the back of his collar and lifted him to his feet.

"Quick, go!" She urged, a gentle hand on his shoulder guiding him away from the fight.

She followed until they were out of sight, and turned a stunned Stiles towards her to examine him.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She asked as she looked him over.

"I- I'm fine. Why? What? Huh?"

She gave him a small smile and a pat on the cheek. "Oh yeah, you're fine. Get outta here. Warn Scott."

She turned to head back towards the fight, hearing more thuds of bodies hitting floors and walls.

"Why aren't you killing me right now? I mean, if you're with the psycho Alpha…"

Karen turned her head to look at him, eyebrow raised. "I'm just a teacher, Stiles. As annoying as you guys can be sometimes, I'm not about to start murdering teenagers."

Without another word, she stalked back down the hall, following a trail of smashed plaster, glass an blood, walking into the morgue as Peter span a mirror in front of him.

"When you look this good, why wait?" He said as a stopped the mirror suddenly. He turned to meet Karen's eyes with a smirk. "Don't you agree?"

Karen let out a gasp of surprise at the sight of his now clear face, any sign of the fire gone from his handsome features. Then, her gaze landed on Derek lying against the wall with blood dripping down his face, holding his ribs and gasping with pain. She rushed forward to help him. He shrugged out of her touch, glaring.

"Don't touch me.

Karen flinched at the harsh tone, but leaned back on the balls of her feet, pulling her hands back.

"Now, Derek," Peter began, stepping in front of the injured werewolf. "We really do want the same thing. Revenge for our family. We can get it together."

Peter put a hand on Karen's shoulder, smiling at the two betas.

"As a pack."

**Hi everyone, thank you to all the new followers and favorites, it makes me very happy. Sorry this one took so long! I hope it was okay.**


	9. Chapter 9

_** If you could only see the beast you've made of me**_

_**I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free**_

_**The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound**_

_**I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallowed ground**_

** - Howl, Florence and the Machine**

**Part 9 - Abandon**

Peter ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back while he examined himself in Karen's bathroom mirror, admiring his unmarred skin. He turned to Karen, who was hovering by the door eyeing him warily, with a flourish.

"How do I look?" He asked.

"Fine." She muttered, crossing her arms and leaning against the wooden door frame.

"Only fine? Hm." Peter pouted. "Derek is going to take care of the Jackson problem while I'm on my little date. You can just stay in tonight – catch up on your werewolf reading. If I need you, I'll give you a call."

"Take care of Jackson how?" Karen asked softly, dreading the answer.

Peter put a warm hand on her cheek, ignoring her flinch at his touch, and gave her a small pitying smile.

"He's just doing what needs to be done." Peter then brushed past her and grabbed her keys from their spot by the door. "Oh, and I'm taking your car."

"What?!" She exclaimed as the door slammed shut behind him. "Fricken' great."

Karen paced in the lounge room for maybe an hour, unable to focus on the laptop Peter had left her with. While the files on the computer were interesting and probably held important information, all Karen could think about was Jackson getting ripped to pieces. As the scenario played itself over and over, she was pulled out of her head as she smelt blood on the air and, looking down, realized she had been clenching her fists so tightly that her claws had dug into the soft skin. She opened her palm and watched the wounds heal.

"I can stop this…" she murmured softly, the realization of her new strength - and what she could do with it - hitting her.

She leaped into action, rushing through the house to grab her phone and a jacket while she tried to figure out where Derek would be taking Jackson. It didn't take her long to figure it out, and she sprinted out the door and down the street towards the forest where the Hale house sat. As she ran further from the main streets, she followed her instincts and fell to all fours, using her hands to propel herself forward, and before she knew it, she was in front of the old burnt house. Derek's car was sitting in the clearing, she could still feel warmth from the engine when she placed her hand on the hood. She took a deep breath as she headed towards the house, stepping onto the rickety porch. She picked up the scents of the forest and house, what she was starting to recognize as Derek, and a mix of sweat and aftershave that must have been Jackson.

"Look around you!" She heard Derek say, "Wouldn't there be someone here to save you? There's no one here. There is a reason. No one cares that you drive an expensive car. No one cares that you have perfect hair, and no one cares that you're captain of the lacrosse team."

Karen stepped into the house, letting the door fall closed behind her. Before Derek could acknowledge her presence with more than a glance, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs as Jackson stumbled back.

"Excuse me. Co-Captain." Scott said and then he jumped from the top of the stairs to land in front of Jackson protectively.

"Move!" Derek growled.

"No."

Karen stepped between the two. "Stop! Both of you just stop!" She screamed, at the same time as Derek growled "Then I'll kill you too."

There was a whistle as a window smashed and a strange arrow embedded itself into the stair case.

"Cover your eyes!" Derek shouted, as he dropped to the floor with an arm over his face.

Karen followed his lead, and Jackson dropped to the floor, but the arrow exploded in a flash of light before Scott could react. A flurry of bullets hit the side of the house, one hitting Scott in the shoulder as he ran for cover.

"Scott!" shouted Karen and Derek in unison.

As Derek ran to the young werewolf, Karen turned her attention to Jackson. She put a hand on his shoulder as he looked around with wild eyes. There was a pause in the hail of bullets, and she pushed him towards the back of the house.

"Go!" She urged. "Get out of here!"

The boy disappeared into the house, and she faintly heard him stumble out a window as another wave of bullets hit the house. She looked over to where Scott and Derek had been, only to find Derek heading for the front door.

"Derek!"

She ran over to him, ducking under the window, and gripped his hand as it went for the door handle.

"What are you doing?"

"Buying Scott some time to get out of here. Go, get Peter."

Karen shook her head. "They'll kill you! I'm not leaving you alone!"

They met eyes for a moment, and as he took in her determined expression, he realized she wasn't going to take no for an answer. He nodded his head once stiffly, blue eyes glowing. He opened the door and stepped out with a vicious roar, Karen on his heels as she growled and bared her fangs. If she was surprised by the size of the group of hunters, 5 of them all up, just beyond the porch of the old house, she didn't show it.

Derek sprinted forward, ignoring the spray of bullets as they hit the house behind them, just over his head. Karen ducked low and bounded forward, passing Derek as he disarmed a large man and hit him with the butt of the gun. There was a crunch, a loud grunt of pain and the scent of blood hit the air as the man fell to his knees, holding his face and probably now broken nose. Karen leaped onto a skinny bald man, claws biting into his skin as she bowled him over, sending the gun in his hands skittering to the side along the leafy floor of the woods. He scrambled as the woman straddled him and threw a few good punches to the side of his face, and before his hand could grip around the knife at his side, he was out cold. The angry she-wolf turned her attention to the next hunter in sight, another man with a bushy mustache who was quickly dropping his rifle and readying his pistol. She heard a zap from behind her, where Derek was fighting the remaining two hunters, and he let out a pained snarl. Karen glanced behind her. A familiar blonde woman, one of the Argents, let out a cackle of joy as she thrust an electrified baton into the other werewolf's side, and Derek fell to his knees. Karen snapped her attention back to the mustached man as a bullet scraped her shoulder. She bared her teeth and let out a ferocious roar. As she prowled towards the hunter, his eyes went wide and he shot at the woman until his gun clicked empty. Her claws swiped out, hitting his chest and tearing his flesh easily.

Karen rode the wave of blood lust, until she was knocked off the still hunter with a powerful shock. She lay trembling on the earth, growling, willing her limbs to move, to fight. The Argent woman kicked her onto her back, head tilted curiously as she zapped Karen again, smiling harshly at her groans of pain.

"Innocent little teacher my ass." The blonde muttered.

As Karen's vision faded, she heard more of the mocking woman's laughter and felt a sharp pain on the side of her head.

**Thanks again for all the new favorites and follows everyone. Feel free to leave me some feedback, let me know what you think. Have a good one!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Screams break the silence**_

_**Waking from the dead of night**_

_**Vengeance is boiling**_

_**He's returned to kill the light**_

**-Bark at the Moon, Ozzy Osbourne**

**Part 10 - Shock**

Karen hung limply from the iron fence, hair stuck to her face with sweat. The heavy manacles holding her up bit at her wrists and her side itched where they had taped wires to her bare skin, shirt discarded leaving her in a plain black bra and jeans. Derek was chained up next to her, also shirtless and wired up, roaring at the two other women in the dank basement. Karen stirred, lifting her heavy head.

"Miss Bellamy?" asked a weak voice.

Allison looked at the scene in a mix of shock and horror as her Aunt smirked proudly at her achievement and flicked a switch on the electrical box, sending painful shocks to both of the werewolves. Kate watched their torture with a smile that didn't quite reach her cold grey eyes.

"What are you doing to them?" Allison cried, "Is that going to kill them?"

As the shocks subsided, Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, kiddo. Don't get all ethical on me now."

Derek glared up at the blonde woman, blue eyes glowing vibrantly and a sheen of sweat on his skin under the light focused on the two werewolves.

"What are they?" Allison asked.

"Shape-shifter. Lycan. Werewolf." Kate laughed. "To me, they're just more dumb animals."

Karen let out a weak growl. Kate sent a smirk her way, then grabbed Derek by the face and held his mouth open, showing off his long canines.

"See these right here? These are canines, also known as fangs." Kate turned to her niece, face serious. "Made for the rending and tearing of flesh. Not something you'd find on those cute little leaf-eating herbivores, is it?"

"Is this a joke to you?"

Kate let out a small laugh. "Sweetheart, there are werewolves running around in the world. Everything's a joke to me. How do you think I stay sane?"

Karen let out a scoff, but Kate either didn't hear or was ignoring her as Allison asked if they were to blame for all the killings.

"There's actually 4 of them. Another younger Beta, like these 2, and then there's the Alpha." Kate took slow steps towards her niece, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Alpha's the pack leader- bigger, stronger, nastier. Those are the real motherfuckers."

Kate guided the teen back out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them, but Karen tuned them out as they began to talk about family and glanced at Derek.

"Do you think Scott's okay?" She whispered, the pair of them still breathing heavy.

"He got shot...But I'm sure he's fine." Derek eventually muttered, after the sound of footsteps faded, sounding as though he was convincing himself as much as her.

"Well, Peter will come find us, right?"

Derek didn't respond, his expression hooded. Karen wriggled in her chains, trying to see if she had enough give to pull herself free.

"Don't bother, Kate made sure they were nice and tight when she put you up there."

"How long was I out?"

Derek shrugged, chains clinking. "A couple hours, maybe."

There was a moment of silence between the two as they surveyed their surroundings. The dark and dingy basement looked as though it hadn't been used in years. The hunters had set up lamps to light up the room, only one of them on at the moment, glaring in their faces. Karen was kind of glad for the impairment on her vision - from what she could see the room was filthy, covered in layers upon layers of dirt and grime, so she could only imagine how bad the room actually was. The door across from them was a heavy steel industrial looking thing, and the only exit from the room. Peering as best she could, she could just make out the shapes of boxes behind the iron bars they were chained to, and moonlight from a small window near the ceiling.

Karen tugged at her chains again, the metal rubbing at her wrists and slicing the flesh. She felt warm blood dribble from the wound and down her arm before it healed over. Derek let out a low growl.

"You're just wasting energy."

"I've got to try something!" Karen retorted, glancing at the irritated man beside her.

A phone buzzed on the counter and Duran Duran filled the air.

Derek looked at the woman next to him, as best he could in his chains, eyebrow raised.

"Really? Hungry like the Wolf?"

Karen had the grace to at least look embarrassed for her ringtone choice. "Shut up. I like it, okay?"

Derek shook his head, and they both peered over to the phone.

"Does that say Peter?" Karen asked, neck craning to get a better look. "I don't remember getting his number…"

Derek grunted grumpily at the mention of his psychotic uncle.

"What? What'd I say?"

"Nothing. You didn't say anything." Derek growled.

There was a creak somewhere nearby, like the grating of steel on concrete, but Karen kept her eyes on the sour wolf.

"Is this about the hospital? What was I meant to say? The Alpha came and kidnapped me? When exactly was I meant to tell you?" Karen hissed, eyes flashing.

Derek's expression dropped, staring at the woman, any arguments stuck in his throat.

"What?"

Footsteps approached the door, and Karen glanced towards it with fear.

"Your eyes…" he murmured, as the door scraped open and Kate entered the room with a sadistic smile. They both turned their attention to the woman as she moved towards them and rested her hip against the table, fingers dancing along the top of the electrical box.

"Miss me?" She asked, analyzing the two werewolves closely. "I think it's time to get down to business, huh?"

Karen tensed, eyes locked onto the hand hovering over the on switch.

"Let's start simple. I only really need one of you. And somebody has made my friends pretty angry." Kate rambled, eyes locking onto Karen as she flipped on the switch and watched them convulse. Just as Karen cried out, Kate turned the power off again. Derek's jaw clenched tightly and he let his eyes fall closed, not willing to give Kate the satisfaction.

Kate crossed her arms. "So, who's the Alpha? Who's the other Beta?"

She waited a moment, listening to their heaving breathes. Karen licked her dry lips, glancing briefly at Derek as he glared at the blonde, and then, as best she could in her chains, flicked her middle finger up at the hunter.

"Fuck. You." She growled.

Kate frowned and tutted, turning towards the door as she paced the room. "Oh no, honey, see, right now…this is a spa day compared to what the others want done to you. Jonathon was a good man, you know. He had a lot of friends."

Karen's breath caught in her throat.

"What?"

Kate turned back towards the teacher with a look of fake remorse. "You don't remember? You don't remember ripping his throat open with your teeth and digging your claws into his chest when you held him down!?" Kate emphasized her point with a solid punch to Karen's gut.

Karen let out a cry, tears in her eyes from the harsh reality of what she'd done. Kate went back to the table, running her fingers over their confiscated belongings. She picked up a small case, and flipped it open to reveal the mirror inside. As she stepped back towards the captured teacher, she flipped the switch back on, and held the mirror up to Karen's face as the werewolves twitched at the voltage running through them, forcing their monstrous faces to the surface. Karen opened her eyes only long enough to see the crystal blue that glowed back instead of the warm amber, and quickly snapped them shut again.

"Do you know what that means?" Kate mocked, moving in close to Karen's ear. "You're a killer."

She stepped back with a wide smirk, and looked at Derek, meeting his harsh glare easily.

"I guess that means you two have something in common, huh?"


	11. Chapter 11

**I must admit**  
**I can't explain**  
**Any of these thoughts racing**  
**Through my brain**  
**It's true**  
**Baby I'm howlin' for you**  
**-Howlin' For You, The Black Keys**

**Part 11 - Howl**

"You were just protecting yourself." Derek murmured, a few hours after Kate had left for the night.

Karen didn't move, her chin resting on her chest as her head drooped. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and if it weren't for the occasional sobs, he would have though she was asleep.

"If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed you. It's survival."

Karen shook her head back, trying to shake the hair from her eyes, and met Derek's sympathetic gaze with watery eyes.

"I didn't have to kill him though. I knocked the other guy out – I remember that – I made the choice to leave him alive. What made this guy so different?"

Derek examined her face for a moment. She had adapted so well in the last couple of days, he had almost forgotten that she was still a normal person. She wasn't used to the constant fight for survival. She was just a teacher.

"It wasn't your fault." He eventually said, tone firm, turning to face the door again.

Karen's lip trembled, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the bars behind her.

She eventually managed to fall asleep, only to dream of rending flesh with her teeth and claws and spurting thick, hot blood covering her face. She awoke with a scream, sunlight gleaming from the window behind them. Kate was already in the room, standing by the table and going through the pockets of Derek's leather jacket.

"Sleep well?" She smirked. "Ready to tell me who the Alpha is?"

Karen glared at the woman, but stayed silent.

"Come on, Derek." She said, pulling out his wallet and pocketing the cash. "He killed your sister. Now, either you're not telling me because, well, you want to kill him yourself, or for some reason, you're protecting him."

Kate pulled out his driver's license and wandered over the werewolf, chuckling as she examined the photo. She grabbed his cheeks, holding the license up for comparison, and turned to Karen to make sure she was watching.

"Look at this sour face. Don't you think he'd be much more handsome if he smiled more?" She laughed. "I can tell you, he has a nice smile."

Kate looked back at Derek, letting go of him as he glowered. "I bet you always used to get people coming up to you saying, "Smile, Derek." "Why don't you smile more?" Don't you just want to kick those people in the face?" She continued, turning away to put the license back on the table.

"I can think of one." Derek muttered.

"Promise? Cos if I thought you'd be that much fun – I'd let you go."

Neither werewolf responded, watching her with wary eyes as she wandered back over to their things and started browsing through their phones.  
"Nothing, nothing, nothing. God, I hate this detective crap."

"Would you shut up?" Karen hissed, eyes closed as she let her head lean against the bars. "You think we don't see through this little bravado? You've got nothing, and you won't get anything."

Kate glanced back at the teacher with a glare and pursed lips. "We'll see." She said, picking up Karen's phone. "Peter, Peter, Peter. That sounds familiar. Who's Peter?"  
"Boyfriend." Karen sneered, the lie falling from her lips easily. Kate hummed in response and kept her eyes on the phone.  
"Nothing, nothing, nothing! Ugh, this sucks."

"Are you going to torture us? Or just talk us to death?" Derek growled.

"Oh sweetie – I don't wanna torture you." Kate said sweetly, turning to the man. "I just wanna catch up. Remember all the fun we had together?"  
"Like the time you burned my family alive?" He asked bitterly.

Karen's brow furrowed, watching the hunter as she stood in front of Derek, almost pressing against him. She was the one who burnt down the Hale house?  
"No, I was thinking more about the hot crazy sex we had." Kate said, a gleeful smile on her face. Karen's eyebrows raised in shock. "But the fire thing, yeah that was fun too."

Derek lunged towards her as best he could, the chains stopping him just short of her, and he glared into her face. She smirked back at him, noses almost touching. Karen made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat, drawing Kate's eyes over to her. Kate's smirk widened to a grin and she turned her gaze back on Derek.  
"I love how much you hate me." She drawled as Derek breathed heavily above her, rage clear on his face. "Remember how this felt?" She asked, sliding her hands down his torso as she bent down and licked his stomach, starting from the top of his pants and up to the middle of his chest. Karen glanced away, shifting uncomfortably at the intimate gesture, feeling confused by the stab of jealousy in her gut. Derek roared furiously at the blonde in front of him, pulling at his chains, wishing they had just a little extra give so he could rip his fangs into her neck. Kate watched with a straight face as he snapped at her, and then she pursed her lips and shook her head at him sadly.  
"Oh, sweetie. I really don't want to torture you." She turned away from him, and started walking towards the door as it slid open, revealing a bald man in a leather jacket, cracking his knuckles as he stepped into the room. "But he does."

A slap sounded through the room, jerking Karen from her daze, as her cheek stung from the impact and she slowly turned her glare on Kate. It had been hours, days maybe, she wasn't sure. Kate and her friend, who was quite fond of his fists, had taken turns with their interrogation. Kate would come in shortly after he had finished, as their bruises healed, and ask them more questions. She would mock them, play with their phones, and then the man would come back. If he wasn't beating them, he was electrocuting them. Karen deduced that he must have been uncomfortable beating a woman, and so most of his efforts were spent on Derek, unless her werewolf was showing.

For the moment, Kate was going through their things once more, growing more and more frustrated with her lack of progress.

"Don't you fall asleep on me, honey. I still need you." Kate muttered.

Karen sneered at her.

"So, how does a woman like you, get caught up in all this, huh? Innocent little school teacher, stays at work too late and ends up being bitten? Why you, huh?" Kate looked at the woman with an appraising look.

"Maybe I was just convenient." Karen stated blandly, looking down on the hunter.

Kate shook her head with a laugh and turned away from the woman. "Oh I'm sure it's more than that." She slumped in her chair, facing away from the werewolves, and pressed her phone against her lips in thought, ignoring the voice-mail from her brother as it played out.

"Unfortunately, if you're not gonna talk - I'm just gonna have to kill you." She said suddenly. "So say hi to your sister for me." She paused, turning in her seat to look at Derek, ignoring Karen for the moment.

"You did tell her about me, didn't you? The truth about the fire? Or did you? Did you tell anybody?" She stood in front of Derek with false sympathy on her face as Derek frowned at her words.

"Oh, sweetie - That's just a lot of guilt to keep buried. It's not all your fault. You got tricked by a pretty face. It happens! Handsome young werewolf mistakenly falls in love with a super - hot girl who comes from a family that kills the werewolves. Is that ironic? Is it - ironic - That you're inadvertently helping me track down the rest of the pack - again?" Karen watched Derek's face as he struggled to keep his reactions to himself, his eyes glistening.

Karen frowned, but Kate carried on her little spiel. "Or just a little bit of history repeating." Kate turned away from them, and then tilted her head, fingers tapping on the little electrical box as a thought came to her.

"History repeating. It's not Jackson, is it?" She turned back to the werewolves, watching as their eyes widened, knowing that she had figured it out. Well, part of it at least. "Oh, no, no, no, he's got a little scratch on the back of his neck, but - he's not in love with Allison. Not like Scott."

Karen tried to suppress her reaction, but the protective growl that came from her throat just made the victorious grin on Kate's face wider. Kate pulled on her jacket and picked up her phone.

"No!" Karen screamed from behind the woman, struggling against her chains as they groaned in protest. "He's just a kid!"  
Kate gave them one last smirk as she slammed the door closed behind her.

Karen was pulling at her restraints with renewed vigor, determined to get free and save Scott, when a howl reached their ears. She paused in her efforts, tilting her head towards the direction of the sound with a confused frown.

"Is that Scott?" she asked.

Derek nodded. "We need to let him know where we are."

Karen said nothing for a moment, just staring at him.

"What?"

"You mean, instead of waiting for someone to come find us, we could have let them know where we were?"

Derek pursed his lips at the woman. "I was trying to see how much they knew."

Karen gaped. "Okay, that accounts for the first day, what about the rest of the torture we went through! And now Kate knows about Scott! What the hell, Derek?!" She cursed at him under her breath, ignoring for the moment that he could hear her perfectly well. "What do we do?"

"It's similar to pulling the wolf to the surface. Just, focus it more towards calling out to Scott, rather than fighting." He explained.

Karen watched as his eyes glowed and he took a deep breath, and then let out a low bestial howl that carried throughout the room. After a moment, she followed his lead, her howl coming out at a higher pitch than his.

After a moment their howls faded off.

"Do you think it worked?" She asked.

Derek nodded.

"I can't believe you didn't try this earlier." She muttered again. "Plus you screwed that psycho. Really, Derek?"

"Shut up."

**Thanks for reading folks, and thank you to all the new follows and favorites! You should see the smile on my face when I get that email notification. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think.**

**EDIT: For some reason this chapter was all funked up. Hopefully it's all fixed now.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Got a curse I cannot lift**  
**shines when the sunset shifts**  
**when the moon is round and full**  
**gotta bust that box gotta gut that fish**

**-Wolf Like Me, TV On The Radio**

**Part 12 - Escape**

It wasn't long before they heard the skid of sneakers outside the door. Scott pulled it open, the heavy metal grinding along its rails, and looked at them with wide panicked eyes.

"Oh god…" he murmured.

"Just get over here and get me out of these chains!" Derek growled.

Scott did as he was told, rushing over and starting undoing one of Derek's restraints.

"Are you guys okay?"

Karen raised an eyebrow at him. "Just peachy." She replied dryly.

Scott made an apologetic face at her. "Got it!" He said triumphantly, and then the sound of heavy footsteps reached their ears, heading towards them.

"It's the torturer. Get out of here!" Karen hissed lowly. "Hide!"

Scott disappeared from the room, closing the door behind him. Derek reluctantly put his hand back in the now broken manacle, and lowered his head as the door opened again. The bald man paced slowly into the room, and turned on the light pointed at the two werewolves with a smirk.

"Ready to have some more fun?" The man smiled. "To be honest, my knuckles are kinda hurting." He said, walking forward as he examined his fist. He looked at Karen suddenly with a smile, revealing the bat he had hidden behind his back. "So I brought some help. I need to warn you, I used to play in college."

The man struck out, aiming for Karen's face, and she flinched, eyes snapping closed. She slowly reopened them when the impact never came, grateful to see that Derek had caught the bat mid-air. The hunter gaped at him in surprise.

"I brought a little help too." Derek mocked.

The hunter looked behind him as Scott appeared in the doorway and Derek used his distraction to send a solid punch to the bald man's jaw, knocking him out cold and across the room. Karen let out a sigh of relief, relaxing in her binds.

"Thanks." She murmured.

"Anytime." Derek replied gruffly, ripping the wires from his side. "Scott help me with this." He said, turning his attention to his last restraint.

"No."

"What?"

"Not until you tell me how to stop Peter."

Karen groaned in annoyance. "Seriously?"

"You really want to talk about this right now?" Derek asked, echoing Karen's thoughts.

"He's going after Allison and her family. He's going to kill them."

"So what?" Derek exclaimed, growing more annoyed at the teen.

"So, tell me how to stop him." Scott replied, staring down the man.

"You can't! Alright?" Derek pulled on his chains. "I don't know when Kate's coming back, so just get me out of this right now! Right now!" Derek shouted, struggling to get his last hand free.

Karen stared at the two as they argued, staying quiet as she examined Derek's frustrated and panicked expression, and Scott's calm and stubborn resolve.

"Promise you'll help me."

"You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend?" Derek spat, "For your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing? You're not in love, Scott! You're 16 years old! You're a child!" He yelled.

Scott lowered his gaze, his face carefully blank as he nodded slightly at Derek's words. "Maybe you're right." He said sadly. "But I know something you don't. Peter said he didn't know what he was doing when he killed your sister right?" Scott pulled something out of his pocket, unfolding a piece of paper as he spoke. "He lied. Remember this?"

He held the paper in the air for Derek to see, and Karen leaned forward to get a better look. It was some kind of police report with a picture of a dead doe at the bottom of the page, a spiral carved into its side. Karen's brow furrowed as she recalled Peter telling her that the spiral was their symbol for revenge.

"This is what brought your sister back to Beacon Hills, right?"

"Where did you get that?" Derek asked, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion.

"My boss told me three months ago someone came into the clinic asking for a copy of this picture. Do you wanna know who it was? Peter's nurse. They brought your sister here so that Peter could kill her and become the Alpha, and that's why you're going to help me." Scott watched as Derek bowed his head, brow furrowed.

Karen watched Derek with concern as the rage became apparent on his face and he clenched his fist.

"Look, just say you'll help me, and I'll help you unlock your other –"

Derek pulled himself free, letting the warped manacle fall to the ground with a clatter.

"I'll help you."

Scott let a small smile fall onto his face and nodded.

"So, um, if you guys are done, could someone let me down?" Karen asked, rattling her chains to emphasize her point.

They turned to her with sheepish expressions, and Scott scratched the back of his head. Then, as if only just realizing that she was only in her bra, he quickly turned his back, cheeks burning. Karen and Derek rolled their eyes at the teen. Derek moved over to her and pulled free.

"You okay?" he asked, looking her over with a concerned gaze.

Karen nodded, almost too quickly. "Fine. You?"

Derek nodded back.

Scott suddenly let out a joyful cry. "My phone!"

Karen let out a chuckle at the boy and pushed past Derek to the table. She threw his shirt over her shoulder at him, smirking at his annoyed grunt as it hit him in the face. She finally found her blouse underneath his jacket, and held it up with a frown, taking in the rips and the dried blood that coated the front of it.

"Miss Bellamy?"

"Scott, just call me Karen." She murmured softly, not taking her eyes off of the blood stain, her nose twitching at the faint copper scent.

A heavy hand fell on her shoulder and she turned her head to glance at Derek. He pulled the blouse from her hands.

"You can wear my jacket" he murmured, turning away.

Karen pulled the leather jacket on and zipped it up, examining the sleeves as they fell too long over her hands. She pocketed her phone and turned to the boys with a large forced smile.

"Let's get out of this hell hole."

**Sorry about the last chapter! I've finally fixed it. Thank you to the Guest who gave me the heads up. Another Guest asked if Karen and Derek are going to have chemistry together. Well, there'll definitely be chemistry ;P Is that vague enough for you?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A Midwest monster**

**Of the highest grade**

**All my teachers thought**

**It was growing pains**

**Somebody stop this pain**

**-I was a Teenage Werewolf, The Cramps**

**Part 13 - Revenge**

Karen took the lead, a few feet ahead of the other two in her eagerness to get home and indulge herself in a bottle of wine or two. The old Hale house came into view as they reached the edge of the tree line, and Derek called out for them to wait. Karen leaned against a tree, letting her tired muscles relax, as the other two got closer.

"Something doesn't feel right." Derek said, hands on his knees as he caught his breathe.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

Karen met Derek's gaze and nodded in agreement as she murmured, "Like it was too-"

"No. Don't say too easy." Scott interrupted. "People say 'too easy' and bad things happen. What, do you think finding you was easy? Getting away from Allison's dad? None of this has been easy."

"Fine. You're right." Derek conceded, straightening himself up.

"Thank you." Scott turned to keep moving towards the house as there was a whistle on the air and Derek let out a grunt of pain as an arrow hit him in the shoulder.

"Derek!" Karen cried out, barely stopping herself from running over to him as she heard Kate's voice, a few feet away.

"Now the leg."

There was another whistle as an arrow flew into Derek's thigh, and he fell to the ground. Karen pressed herself against the tree, peering round the edge to get eyes on the hunter and whoever was with her.

"Flashbolt."

"Scott your eyes!" Derek shouted as the teen stood in shock, staring dumbly at the attackers.

"Now." Kate murmured, and the arrow went flying, landing in the tree behind Scott.

Karen threw an arm over her eyes and turned away from the bolt. After a moment she turned back, rushing over to help Derek. Scott writhed on the ground, rubbing at his eyes. Derek went to snap one the arrows off, but Karen beat him to it, yanking the arrow clean from his leg. He let out a cry of pain and glared at the teacher as she gave him an apologetic glance and pulled the one from his shoulder, letting both arrows fall to the ground, knowing that he'd heal faster if they came out now. She pulled one of his arms over her shoulder and as they ran towards the derelict house, Derek grabbed Scott by the collar.

Karen glanced back at the hunters, eyes widening as she realized the shooter was Allison, and the two woman calmly walked after them.

Derek fell to the ground with a grunt, pushing the Karen and Scott forward.

"Go!"

Scott scrambled back, blinking furiously and rubbing his eyes to clear his vision as Allison walked towards him. Karen stepped in between them with a growl, glaring at the girl.

"Alison, I can explain!" Scott called.

"Stop lying. For once, stop lying."

Karen glanced between the two, catching Scott's eye. He shook his head at her, glancing at Derek, before he turned back to Allison. Karen took the hint and stepped back slowly, eyes landing on Kate as she watched the interaction with a cold expression. Karen bared her teeth at the woman, stepping in front of Derek protectively as the teens murmured behind them, not entirely paying attention to them anymore. Kate returned the glare, readying the gun in her hand.

"I don't believe you." Allison muttered.

"Thank God." Kate groaned, moving further into the clearing. "Now shoot him before I have to shoot myself"

Allison turned towards her aunt, a confused and teary expression on her face. "You... You said we were just going to catch them."

"We did that. Now we're going to kill them." Kate said. She then raised her gun and fired two shots at Karen and Derek, hitting them both in the chest. Karen fell to the ground with a cry, hand clasping her collarbone over the bullet wound. "See? Not that hard."

Karen pressed her head in to the earth, biting back whimpers as the wound healed slowly, pushing the bullet into her hand. Everything else became background noise as Karen breathed in deep and focused on the sound of the blood pumping in her ears. She slowly rolled over, pulling a shaky, bloody hand away from her chest, and then looked over to the other three. Kate had her gun held to Scott's head, but she was looking at Allison's father.

"I know what you did." The man said. "Put the gun down."

"I did what I was told to do." Kate returned, making no move to lower her gun.

"No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house, ones who were human. Look what you're doing now. You're holding a gun at a 16 year old boy, with no proof he spilled human blood. We go by the code." Chris said, and Kate pressed her lips together, like she was annoyed at the mention of the code. "Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent"

"We hunt those who hunt us" Allison murmured.

Karen glanced at the girl, frowning as she realized that she was also on the ground, bow discarded beside her.

"Put the gun down." Chris said, aiming his gun at the other hunter. When she didn't move, he fired, hitting the tree behind her. "Before I put you down."

Karen slowly pushed herself up as Kate lowered her gun and Scott let out a gasp of relief. Karen snarled at the blonde, eyes glowing their new cold blue and claws at the ready. Before they could react to her show of aggression however, the door to the house creaked open, and everyone span towards it, the hunters raising their guns.

"Allison, get back." Chris ordered, stepping closer to the others as Scott and Allison got to their feet.

"What is it?" the girl asked.

"The Alpha" Scott said lowly, falling into a defensive crouch.

A dark shape flew out the door, circling the group as they span on their heels to follow. Karen kept her eyes locked on to Kate, rolling her shoulders, as she prepared to pounce. Chris was suddenly knocked to the ground, gun sent flying drawing their attention, then Allison, and finally Scott as Kate span in a circle in panic. Karen took her chance, leaping towards the woman and tackling her to ground.

She straddled the hunter, a fierce expression on her face as she knocked the woman's gun away. As she went to wrap her clawed hand around Kate's throat, a low growl stopped her. Peter circled around the two women, into Karen's view, eyes glowing red.

"That's my kill." The alpha snarled. Kate let out an involuntary whimper.

Karen stared at the man for a moment, before reluctantly climbing off of the woman, head bowed submissively. Peter quickly grabbed the hunter by the throat and dragged her inside of the house.

"No!" Allison cried out, quickly racing to follow them.

Karen grabbed the girl around the middle before she could get a foot through the door.

"Wait! You don't want to see this." She said, keeping her hold firm as the girl struggled against her.

"Kate! I've got to –"

"You don't have a weapon!"

"I don't care!" Allison screamed, tears falling from her eyes.

She managed to slip out of Karen's arms, and rushed in to the house, only taking a few a steps before she froze in the hallway, her eyes falling on Peter and Kate as he held his claws to her aunt's throat. Karen stepped up beside the girl, subtly positioning herself in front of the girl, and looked at Kate with a blank expression and crossed her arms.

"She is beautiful, Kate." Peter said, voice soft as he looked at Allison. "She looks like you. Probably not as damaged. So I'm going to give you a chance to save her. Apologize." Karen watched as tears formed in his eyes and rage filled his voice. "Say that you're sorry for decimating my family, for leaving me burned and broken for six years. Say it - And I'll let her live."

There was a beat, and then Kate swallowed, eyes locking onto Allison's. "I'm sorry."

Peter's expression relaxed, a small smile on his lips, and after a moment, her ripped his claws across her throat. Kate's body fell to the floor with a thud, Allison gasping in shock as she watched.

"I don't know about you, Allison, but that apology…" Peter turned his cold gaze to the young teen, baring his teeth a little. "Didn't sound very sincere."

"No." Karen said, stepping further in front of the girl. "This is over Peter. It was all Kate's fault, and now she's dead. It's over." She stepped forward, pushing a hand against his chest firmly, ignoring the growl that rumbled through it. "It's finished."

Peter snarled at her, grabbing her roughly by her hair. "It's over when I say it's over!"

His other hand came up and gripped the leather jacket Karen was wearing as he easily picked her up and threw her to the side, letting her go flying out the window. Karen cried out as she landed on the porch, a large shard of glass in her side and blood quickly pooling around it. She heard the sounds of fighting inside, easily picking out the growls of Derek and Scott. Allison ran out from behind the house and she started shaking her father.

"Dad!"

Karen pushed herself up onto her knees and pulled out the glass as best she could, groaning with pain as she did so. Once is was out, she gripped it in her hand tightly and turned to the window, in time to see Peter transforming into the large hulking wolf that had bitten her. She leaped through the window towards him as Peter moved towards Scott, collapsed on the floor in the doorway, and thrust the glass shard into his shoulder. She ducked as he swung a claw at her head and kicked out at his legs in an attempt to knock him down. He finally got a hit in at her, knocking her back slightly, but she shook it off and glared up at him, her fierce blue eyes meeting his angry red. He pulled the glass out of his shoulder, as Scott leaped at him again, punching him in the muzzle. Peter barely flinched from the impact, and kicked Scott out the window, shortly followed by Karen.

Peter leaped out of the building, and picked Scott up by his collar, roaring in the boy's face. Karen pulled herself up with a growl in their direction as a car came tearing up the dirt path and beeped. Stiles and Jackson jumped out of the silver Porsche, both with a flask in hand. Peter dropped Scott and roared at the newcomers, as Stiles threw his flask at the alpha.

Peter caught it easily, and eyed it cautiously. Scott must have recognized the substance in the bottle though, and he grabbed the discarded bow in front of him.

"Allison!" He shouted, tossing her the weapon.

She caught it easily and swiftly drew an arrow and shot the flask. As the glass shattered, it exploded into flames, lighting up the werewolf's arm.

Karen let out a horrified gasp, stumbling back from the flailing alpha. A second flask hit Peter in the chest, lighting the rest of his torso and his other arm on fire, and he roared furiously, turning his gaze on Allison.

"No…" Scott muttered, and before the man could attack, he jumped forward and kicked Peter away from the Argents.

Peter flailed around a tree, attempting in vain to put out the flames, and landed with a thud, back in his human form, covered once more in hideous burns.

Karen moved slowly towards him, shifting her features back to human, and cringed at the sound of his struggling breathes. Stiles and Jackson watched her with confused expressions as she fell to her knees by his side and gently stroked his cheek.

As evil as his actions had been, no one deserved to die like this – not after what he'd been through, she thought. As she wished that she could relieve his pain, she made soothing noises in the back of her throat. Then, her veins turned a dark colour as she felt pain flood into her, but Peter looked more relaxed.

"D-don't." He muttered. She pulled her hand back as the pain grew too strong.

"I'm sorry, Peter."

He turned his blue eyes to her. "Why?" He asked.

There was a crunch of leaves as Derek approached them and stood over Peter.

"Wait!" Scott called. "You said the cure comes from the one who bit you." Karen looked up sharply at Derek.

"Cure?" she murmured.

"Derek, if you do this, I'm dead." Scott continued, as Derek kept his gaze on his Uncle. "Her father, her family – what am I supposed to do?"

Derek hesitated, but Karen could tell from the twitch in his shoulders that he had made his decision, and she pulled away from dying werewolf.

"You've already decided. Even she can tell." Peter gasped. "I can smell it on you!" He snarled, eyes glowing red as Derek pulled his arm back and then ripped the man's throat open with his claws. Scott cried out for him to stop, but too late.

Derek slowly turned to the audience behind him, eyes glowing Alpha red.

"I'm the Alpha now."


End file.
